Get Into the Exercise Groove

I was really struck by a comment left on my last post, about the importance of being kind to your body
every day. Donna wrote: Exercise is the highlight of my day when I can get to it. Unfortunately, I work a full-time job, and at 5:30 am, the gym doesn’t seem enticing at all. I can get myself going in the warm weather, but the New England cold, dark mornings make it hard to push yourself. I am too tired at night after a long day’s work. Any suggestions?

Oh, Donna, how I can relate. Like much of the country, NYC has been freezing lately. And as I trudge home from work, hood pulled up over hat, nose running from the cold wind, there’s nothing I want more than to plop on the couch and watch mind-numbing TV with a sleeping cat next to me. You can appreciate my laziness even more when I tell you that my apartment complex has a small but very serviceable gym. My workout is literally steps away — but I still don’t want to go.

I do have built-in incentives to get moving. I’m lucky enough to be able to walk to and from work — about a half-hour each way — although with the bone-chilling weather, I find myself hopping on the bus or getting lifts more often. And a few months ago, a friend got tired of hearing me whine about my lack of incentive and hooked me up with Jerry, personal trainer extraordinaire. Twice a week, Jerry comes over and puts me through a workout of weights (including my all-time favorite, the kettlebell), aerobics, and core-strengthening exercises. He’s great, and I have noticed a big difference in how my body feels and moves. But after 40, we need more exercise to get the same benefits we did when we were younger. Like it or not, I need to put out more effort.

One thing that does get me into the exercise groove is music. I don’t know how people can stand using gym machines without it — my friend Karen, for example, is perfectly content doing her half-hour on the elliptical in complete silence, getting into a sort of meditative bliss. But I need tunes to get me going, and I’ve made several playlists on my iPod that can help. The trick is to pretend I’m dancing and lose myself in the rhythm — not to the point of waving my arms around or singing, though I confess that has happened when I find myself alone in the gym.

So here’s a random sampling of what’s on my playlist these days, which tends to lean toward 80s and oldies (showing my age, what can I say?). These songs are guaranteed to make me get up and go:

Get the latest health updates

Thanks for signing up!

Oops!

A system error was encountered. Please try again later.

Follow us on your favorite social network!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Solomon

Amy Solomon has worked as an editor and writer on Web sites covering such health-related topics as ADHD, women's health, geriatric mental health, and postpartum depression, as well as medical journal articles,...read more